Description of the attraction
The Musical Instrument Museum, part of the Royal Museums of Art and History, is one block from the Royal Palace. This is one of the most interesting museums in the Belgian capital, which has a huge collection of various musical instruments. The most bizarre instruments, which have not received wide distribution, are here side by side with the copies familiar to everyone. The collection of the museum has about 8 thousand exhibits.
The Musical Instrument Museum was founded in the 70s of the XIX century on the initiative of Monarch Leopold II. The king needed somewhere to keep a collection of tools that his subjects presented to him as a gift. In addition to the collection of the king, the museum also began to exhibit a selection collected by F. J. Fetis.
The slogan of the museum is the phrase: "What you see, you can hear." Each visitor, armed with headphones, will be able to listen to about 200 excerpts of playing the instruments on display in the museum.
Museum staff conduct seminars, conferences, concerts and organized excursions for people of all ages. The subject of excursions is constantly changing.
The Musical Instrument Museum occupies two buildings: a neoclassical building erected by Barnabe Gumard in neoclassical style on the corner of Queen's Square, and a restored mansion called "Old England". It was built in 1899 in the Art Nouveau style by the architect Paul Centenoy for an English luxury goods company. The entrance to the museum is located in the house "Old England".
